On the other side of the world

IRAN

One sixth of Canada in size, with more than twice the people

there is a land

Cyrus the Great

Damavand (5671 m)

People with warm hearts People with warm hearts and 3000 years of historyand 3000 years of history

A land of four-season beauty…

waving hopefully to the sky

Modern Tehran Parks–Iran

An Art Gallery in Modern Tehran - Iran

Persian, 50 %Azari 18 %Kurd 10 %Gilaki 6 %

Muslims 95%Ahle-Haq 3%Christians 1%Baha’i 0.7%Zoroastrians 0.1%Jewish 0.1%

People of this land: Iranians

And woman of this land…

walking quietly through history,

has changed the fate for her daughter.

Qajar dynasty (1781-1922)

First school for women

First women’s magazines

Reform in Family Law

Voting right for women

First woman in university

Pahlavi dynasty (1922-1979)

Islamic Republic(1979-2008)

Compulsory Hijab and dress code

Change of Family Law Based on Islamic rules

A record in the number of women in universities (65% -2007)

The amazing achievement of Iranian women:

Reduction of birth rate to a half in one decade

(1994-2004)

Draws her beauty on the rugsand sings her wishes to the wind

woman of this land…

Iranian woman…

the Sun of the family

Writer

Lawyer, Nobel Prize winner

Women activist

In Parliament

Iranian Woman: effective

wherever she is

She demands equality and fairness in laws

In Islamic RepublicA married woman

needs her husband’s permission to get a

passport.

An Iranian woman can not run for presidency or be a judge

Percentage of women in parliament :4.4%

I left my home to be able to think openly, to explore a new culture,

a new country , and a new language.

in search for a future without war for my children.In search for…

Peace

Peace for the

Children of the world

Peace for the

Thank you Canada for your gift of peace

and thank you for letting me call you“ my home”